If you are planning just a pick up, some hostels charge a handling fee. I did this for a few boxes between Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine.ĭ) An effective alternative to the Post Office are hostels – you can ship resupply boxes to hostels along the way, if you are planning on staying at that hostel it is an easy win. Once you have paid initial postage there often is not a charge for bouncing a box from one USPS office to another in the area, check with the local USPS office for further details. Bouncing a box from one post office to another is an effective way to make items and resupply available to you later on the trail. I have been fortunate to time most of my Post office pick ups during available business hours, but know many examples of others getting caught and having to wait a day or two to pickup a package.Ĭ) Bounce boxes can be very effective to lighten backpacks and send gear forward. Google Maps often has the most accurate hours for that local USPS office. Limited hours on Saturdays, daily lunch hours off, Sundays closed, and they often close around 4-5pm daily. The AT passes through dozens of small towns, apps like Far Out have clear indicators of where those towns are and the post office locationsī) Be aware that most small town post offices have limited hours. Some suggestions for more effective resupply:Ī) Find post offices which are adjacent to or literally on the trail. The second half of the trek from VA I was able to refine the experience more to target valuable things to ship to myself and more practical things that tend to be expensive on trail to replace.
For the first half of the trail I planned 6 boxes, mostly food and minor resupply items like tooth paste and shoe inserts. For me, it has worked out mostly well, with some nuances. There are quite a few articles on here about the mixed bag of experiences resupplying via USPS on the AT. Plus, once in a while, you can go into town and replace the Talenti jar with another jar, more delicious calories for your trek! 3) USPS Resupply boxes do come in handy, with some catches It is a functionally-sized jar with so many uses, it’s something I will thru-hike with for the foreseeable future. This container is made of a pretty hardy plastic and can be used to cold soak noodles, make overnight oats, or be a storage space throughout your day. I really have to thank my fellow Trek Blog writer and trail family member Strider here for this one! The Talenti jar is the plastic jar for the delicious ice cream gelato or sorbet you can pick up from most grocery stores. If you haven’t used that item in 72 hours, ship it home or ahead to yourself at a convenient Post Office or Hostel that accepts mail. An example for me here was shedding nail clippers and toothpicks, neither of which I used often enough to carry every day.ī) The 72-hour rule – planning resupply or justifying why you’re carrying something such as extra first aid items or socks, sometimes it can be better to use the plastic bag trick but lengthen it along a 72-hour rule, which roughly aligns with how often you will be near a town, roadside stop like a gas station, or a hostel where you can take care of something. This can help you offload items you think you will use, rather than items you think you need on trail. Over 24 hours, you will see what items you use daily. I thought I’d share! 1) You will initially carry too much stuff, learn to be regularly shedding items – two efficient ways of eliminating thingsĪ) The 24-hour plastic bag rule – carry a few extra plastic bags with you and as you go through your day, put the things you use in the empty plastic bags. It has been a fun challenge and along the way I have picked up the following tricks which can be actual life-savers along the trail.
TOOTHPICKS NEAR ME HOW TO
So far on the trail I have learned a lot about how to make mutli-functional use of items in order to save weight and make items last.
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